Estrogenic compounds and animal growth promoters



United States Patent Ofiice 3,239,343 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 3,239,343 ESTRUGENlC CUMPQUNDS AND ANIMAL GROWTH PRQMQTERS Edward B. Hodge, Phil H. Hidy, and Herbert L. Wehrmeister, Terre Haute, Ind, assignors to Commercial Solvents Corporation, a corporation of Maryland No Drawing. Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,813

Claims. (Cl. 992) The present invention relates to new compounds and an object of the present invention is to provide compounds which exhibit estrogenic activity or aid in increasing the rate-of-growth in meat-producing animals, e.g. cattle, lamb and swine.

A conventional formula for the compounds of the present invention is where A is --CH CH and R is hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, e.g. lower alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, and hexyl, etc., but hydrogen is preferred. Compounds having the above formula wherein A is CH=CH-; R is substituted or unsubstituted aryl, e.g.

a monoring aromatic such as phenyl and bromophenyl;

acyl, e.g. acetyl and valeryl; and aralkyl, e.g. benzyl as well as the non-toxic salts of the compounds such as the oxalates and sulfates are also contemplated by this invention. There are two diastereoisomers of the compounds of the present invention.

The compounds can be administered to animals by any feeds, an animal feed composition may be prepared con-.

taining the usual nutritionally-balanced quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, together with a compound of the present invention. Some of these usual dietary elements are grains, such as ground grain and grain by-products; animal protein substances, such as those found in fish meal and meat scraps; vegetable proteins like soybean oil meal or peanut oil meal; vitaminaceous materials, e.g. vitamin A and D mixtures; riboflavin supplements and other vitamin B complex members; and bone meal and limestone to provide minerals. A type of conventional feed material for use with cattle includes alfalfa hay and ground corn cobs together with supplementary vitaminaceous substances if desired.

The compounds of the present invention can be produced from the compound:

hereinafter referred to as the fermentation estrogenic substance (F.E.S.) by oximation of the ketone group followed by reduction of the oxime group. The olefinic bond can be reduced to provide compounds where A is -CH -CH and these are referred to as dihydro F.E.S. compounds. The nomenclature used herein is based upon the F.E.S. compound. For example, the compound produced upon oximation of the ketone group followed by reduction of the oxime group where A is CH CH and R is hydrogen is referred to as dihydro F.E.S. hydroxylamine. Compounds where both Rs are alkyl are referred to as dialkyl, and where one of the Rs is alkyl as monoalkyl dihydro F.E.S. hydroxylamine.

The oximation of the ketone group of F.E.S. can be accomplished by reaction with hydroxylammonium chloride or a hydroxylammonium chloride reagent solution prepared by dissolving 0.7 gram hydroxylammonium chloride in 10 milliliters water, adding 0.5 gram triethanolamine and diluting to 100 milliliters with ethanol. The F.E.S. compound is added in amounts of 3 to 10 milligrams to 5 milliliters of made-up reagent and is heated under reflux in a water bath to between about 75 C. for about 1 to 3 hours.

F.E.S. oxime can be reduced to dihydro RES. hydroxylamine (i.e. where A is -CH CH by reducing the oxime and the olefinic bond simultaneously, for example, by hydrogenation in the presence of a Group VIII platinum metal, particularly platinum or palladium, catalyst supported on a suitable carrier, e.g. charcoal. Generally the catalyst contains from about 0.01 to about 10% of the catalytic metal. The catalyst is used in a ratio of generally between about 0.02 and 2 grams and preferably between about 0.1 to 0.5 gram, particularly 0.2 gram, catalyst per gram of R135. oxime. The reduction may be carried out while F.E.S. oxime is suspended in a suitable solvent, e.g. an alcohol, especially a lower alkanol such as 2-propanol, ethanol, methanol, and acid, e.g. acetic acid, etc. at ambient temperatures or temperatures of, for example, 15 to 50 C., and superatmospheric pressures. The use of elevated pressure from about 500 to 1000 p.s.i. is, however, preferred.

In producing compounds of the present invention where R is alkyl, conventional alkylation procedures can be used to replace the H atom of one or both of the OH groups on the benzene ring of PBS. with an alkyl group. Alkylated F.E.S. compounds can be produced, for example, by first alkylating R135. and then treating it as set forth supra. The alkylat-ion can be by reaction with the corresponding dialkyl sulfates, e.g. dimethyl sulfate, diethyl sulfate, etc. to produce the dialkyl F.E.S. or a monoalkyl PBS. with the alkyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring ortho to the ester group. Furthermore, a monomethyl F.E.S. compound with the methyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group para to the ester group can be selectively produced using diazomethane.

The fermentation estrogenic substance (F.E.S.) is so named since a convenient method for producing it is by cultivating, on a suitable nutrient medium, the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) on deposit at the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division of the United States Department of Agriculture under the number NRRL-2830.

The following examples are offered to illustrate this invention; however, the invention is not limited to the specific materials, amounts, and procedures set forth. The first example illustrates preparation of a suitable inoculum containing the organism Gibberella zeae (Gor don) NRRL2830.

Example I A spore sand culture containing Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRRL2830 was aseptically placed in a sterile tube containing 15 milliliters of Czapeks-Dox solution and a small amount of agar. This medium was then incubated for about 168 hours at approximately 25 C. At the end of the incubation period, the medium was washed with 5 milliliters of sterile deionized water and transferred to a sterile tube containing 45 milliliters of Czapeks-Dox solution. The contents of the tube were then incubated for about 96 hours at about 25 C. after which the material was available for use in inoculation of a fermentation medium.

The following example illustrates the fermentation of the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRRL-2830 to produce F.E.S.

Example II To a 2 liter flask were added 300 grams of finely divided corn. The flask and its contents were then sterilized and after sterilization 150 milliliters of sterile deionized water were added. To the mixture in the flask were then added 45 milliliters of the inoculum prepared by the process of Example I and the material was thoroughly mixed. The mixed material was then incubated for about 20 days at 25 C. in a dark room in a watersaturated atmosphere.

The following example illustrates the recovery of F BS. from the fermentation medium.

Example III A 300 gram portion of fermented material produced by the method of Example II was placed in 500 milliliters of deionized water and slurried. The slurry was then heated for about 15 minutes at 75 C., 300 grams of filter aid were then added and the material was filtered. The solid filtered material containing the anabolic substance was then air dried, and 333 grams of the dried cake were then extracted with 500 milliliters of ethanol. This procedure was repeated three more times. The ethanol extract was evaporated to dryness under vacuum to give 6.84 grams of solid material. This solid material was then dissolved in 20 milliliters of chloroform and extracted with 30 milliliters of an aqueous solution containing 5% by weight of sodium carbonate having an adjusted pH of about 11.2. The extraction process was repeated seven more times. The pH of the sodium-carbonate extract was then adjusted to 6.2 with hydrochloric acid, to yield an anabolic substance-containing precipitate. The precipitate and the aqueous sodium carbonate extract were then each in turn extracted with 75 milliliters of ethyl ether. This procedure was repeated three more times to yield a light yellow ethereal solution, which was then evaporated to yield 116 milligrams of solid anabolic substance. This material was then subjected to multiple 6 transfer countercurrent distribution using 100 tubes and a solvent system consisting of two parts chloroform and two parts carbon tetrachloride as the lower phase and four parts methanol and one part water as the upper phase, all parts by volume. The solid material obtained from the multiple transfer countercurrent distribution was F.E.S.

The following example illustrates the oximation of F.E.S.

Example IV where a grams of PBS. liberate an amount of acid corresponding to b milliliters base of normality n. This procedure when applied to a total of 53 milligrams F.E.S. indicated a RES. equivalent weight of 328 which indicates that F.E.S. has one oximatable carbonyl group.

Dilution of the titration mixtures with water yielded two crops of crystals: Crop A, 12.9 milligrams having a melting point of 200202 C.; and Crop B, 19.9 milligrams having a melting point of 201203 C. Crops A and B were combined and recrystallized from a mixture of 10 milliliters ethanol and 20 milliliters water to provide 23 milligrams of F.E.S. oxime having a melting point of 202.5 205.5 C. and analyzing:

Calc. Found laflzsos Percent C 64. 8t 63. 62 Percent II 6. 95 7.05 Percent N 4. 20 4. 15

The following example illustrates reduction of F.E.S. oxime to produce dihydro F.E.S. hydroxylamine.

Example V Dimethyl sulfate (5 milliliters) was added to a solution of 2.24 grams RES. in milliliters of a 10% NaOH solution and 20 milliliters of water. The mixture was stirred for one-half hour at l8-20 C. (cooling bath) and an additional 5 milliliters of dimethyl sulfate was added. After an additional 70 minutes of stirring at 2026 C., the solid precipitate, Solid A, was collected by filtration, washed with water and dried. The filtrate from Solid A was acidified with 25 milliliters 12 N H 50 to yield a second precipitate, Solid B, which was collected, washed with water, and dried.

Solid A (0.79 gram having a melting point of 114- 118 C.) was recrystallized from a mixture of 10 milliliters water and 15 milliliters ethanol to yield 0.66 gram dimethyl F.E.S. having a melting point of l081l0 C.

Solid B (1.39 grams having a melting point of 152- 162 C.) was recrystallized twice from a mixture of water and alcohol to yield 0.80 gram of monomethyl F.E.S. product having a melting point of l69-l74 C. Analysis of Solid B showed:

Calc. Found (010112405) Percent C 68. G5 G7. 97 Percent 11 7. 28 7. 16 Percent; OMe 9. 34 9. 28

Example VII Monomethyl F.E.S. with the methyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring para to the ester group was prepared by the following procedure.

Nitrosomethylurea in an amount of 1.2 grams was slowly added to a cold mixture of 3.6 milliliters of 50% potassium hydroxide and 17 milliliters of ether. After a few minutes the yellow ether layer of the mixture was decanted, dried over potassium hydroxide, and then added to a solution of 0.30 grams F.E.S. in 17 milliliters of ether. The resulting yellow mixture was left overnight in a loosely stop-pered flask and then ether and diazomethane were evaporated otf using a steam bath. The remaining gummy residue was crystallized by adding 3 milliliters of water, heating to 60 C., and adding ethanol almost to solution. On cooling, crystals formed, yielding 0.137 gram of product having a melting point of 111- 116 C. which was recrystallized in the same way to yield 0.082 gram of monomethyl F.E.S. having a melting point of 120122 C. and analyzing.

The ketone group of the monomethyl F.E.S. is oximated according to the procedure of Example 1V and is reduced according to the procedure of Example V to produce monomethyldihydro F.E.S. hydroxylamine.

Example VIII Six head of cattle are fed a daily ration including a mixture of alfalfa hay and ground corn cobs containing from 1 to 20 ounces of dihydro F.E.S. hydroxylamine per hundred pounds of ration.

6 It is claimed: 1.

R-O E COCH-(CII2) s C HNH O H where A isOH CH and R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl.

2. The compound of claim '1 wherein R is hydrogen.

3. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and a growth promoting amount of the compound of claim 1.

4. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is methyl. 5. The compound of claim 1 wherein the R ortho to the ester group is methyl and the other R is hydrogen.

6. The compound of claim 1 wherein the R para to the ester group is methyl and the other R is hydrogen. 7. An animal feed comprising a nutritioal diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 2. 8. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 4. 9. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 5. 10. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 6.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,051 8/1958 Brian et al 99-2 A. LOUIS MONACELL, Primary Examiner. 

3. AN ANIMAL FEED COMPRISING A NUTRITIONAL DILUENT AND A GROWTH PROMOTING AMOUNT OF THE COMPOUND OF CLAIM
 1. 